VILLAGE PLANS - Offaly County Council

OFFALY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2009 - 2015
Volume 2 - Settlement Plans
RHODE VILLAGE PLAN
Edenderry, 5km east of Croghan and 10km southeast of
Rochfortbridge.
1.2 Settlement Form
Rhode village is likely to have evolved from a small
cluster at the cross roads demonstrated by its
vernacular style, where the R400 and R441 intersect.
Subsequent expansion traditionally has taken the form
of linear development along the constituent roads, with
the exception of both the ESB and local authority
housing developments.
1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
The settlement plans stem directly from the policies
and objectives contained in the County Development
Plan with particular reference to Chapter 4, “Settlement
Strategy” and Chapter 18, “Land Use and Zoning”. This is
to facilitate the growth of a hierarchy of well-planned,
sustainable and complementary settlements
throughout the county presented in a consistent
manner to allow ease of interpretation and
implementation.
Rhode has been designated as a village within Offaly’s
settlement hierarchy, as set out in Chapter 4 of the
County Development Plan 2009 – 2015. This settlement
plan along with the zoning map is seen as a specific
view of the village so that development pressures can
be focused and properly managed in order that the
settlement can fulfil this role effectively.
This plan pertains to Rhode village which encompasses
an area of approximately 56 hectares. The village has
undergone increasing pressures for development in
recent years, due for the most part to its proximity to
the Greater Dublin Area. Rhode is a rural village which
acts as a local service centre for the village itself and its
hinterland. It is apparent that a large proportion of the
growth is taking place outside of the existing village in
the form of single house developments.
1.1 Location
Rhode village is situated in the north-east of County
Offaly and is surrounded by flat boglands and
agricultural land. Two prominent hills are located close
to the village, namely Croghan Hill and Clonin Hill.
Rhode is situated approximately 12km west of
Recent residential development has taken place within
some of the backland areas in the village, providing
added depth in an east-west direction. Future
development should, however, have an emphasis on
consolidation and small-scale expansion of the village.
Rhode contains significant natural and cultural heritage
attractions in its surrounding landscape, most notably
boglands, the Grand Canal (situated approximately one
kilometre south of the village) and numerous historical
artefacts. There is one recorded monument situated
within the village boundary.
The parish of Rhode contains the ruins of castles, most
notably Toberdaly Castle, once the demesne of the
Nesbitt family. Ballybrittan Castle is also located in the
area and comprises a well preserved castle tower and
was once the home of the Warrens, a prominent English
military family of the late 1550s.
Bord na Móna (turf extraction) and the ESB (electricity
generation) were traditionally to the forefront in local
employment generation. The closure of the power
station in 2001 with the loss of 160 jobs provides a
major challenge to create employment locally. The
power station has now been replaced with a temporary
peaking power generation plant and ancillary facilities.
1.3 Context
Rhode has been designated as a village within Offaly’s
settlement hierarchy, as set out in Chapter 4 of the
County Development Plan 2009 – 2015. The primary
aim of this plan is to consolidate the settlement for the
provision of commercial / social development primarily
to facilitate the existing population rather than provide
for significant levels of additional housing. A
development boundary has been identified for Rhode
Village and is shown on the accompanying map. It is
February 2009 | Rhode Village Plan | page 140